Box or crate.



C. MARCINKIEWlCZ.

BOX 0R CRATE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 21. tars.

1 ,297,885. Patented Mar. 18,1919. s swans-suan 1.

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(I. MARCINKIEWICZ.

BOX 0R CRATE. APPLICATION FILED MAY'27, I916.

Patented Mar. 18,1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 9 E wit u as e5 C. MARCINKIEWICZ.

BOX 0R CRATE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 21, 1916.

Patnted Mar. 18,1919.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

Z7 v uvem/toz asz'mirlwcinkwicz m m Q CASIMIR MARCINKIEWICZ, 0F DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

BOX 03 CRATE.

Specification of Letters Patent.-

Application filed May 27, 1916. Serial No. 100,284.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GASIMIR MARGINKIE- WIGZ, a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvements in Boxes or Crates, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to shipping crates orboxes and has particular reference to the foldable type.

The invention aims to provide a device of this character wherein the bottom and top are removably associated with the side and end walls to permit the latter to fold in a flat "condition, so as to occupy a small amount of space when not in use, the parts being constructed and so arranged when in set up position toproduce a shipping case of maximum strength and durability.

The desired features of simplicity in construction, and cheapness of manufacture are also important characteristics of the invention.

In the drawings forming part of this specification like numerals of reference indicate similar pants in the several views and in which Figure l is a side elevation of a crate con- 7 I structed in accordance with my'invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view.

Fig. 3 is a left end elevation.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the crate folded.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4..

Fig. 6 is a. side elevation of a modified form of the invention.

Fig. 7 is an endelevation.

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view.

Fig. 9 is a plan view of the device folded.

Fig. 10 is a sectional view therethrough. Referring to the drawings in detail and more particularly to Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive,

a crate constructed in accordance wlth my invention is illustrated, and embodies side walls A and end walls B, the said walls being made up of a plurality of spaced parallel slats as shown. Each of. the end walls B includes a fixed section, and a movable section, the fixed section comprising a plurality of relatively short slats 10 which have their ends fitted between the spaced slats 11 of the side walls and secured thereto by means of a bolt 12 passed through all of the lapped slats, and also through angle plates 13 secured .to the upper and lowermost slats of the respective Walls for the purpose of adding to the rigidity of theconnection between these parts. At the upper edge of the rear side wall and the lower edge of the front side wall are filler slats 11 slightly shorter than the slats 11 Patented Mar. 18, 1919.

and at the upper and lower edges of the fixed sections are filler slats 10, shorter than the slats 1Q. As shown the fixed sections of the respective end walls are secured in the manner stated to the side walls at diagonally opposite corners of the crate, while the mov-' side wall-slats at the remaining two .diagonally opposed corners of the crate, these parts being pivotally connected bymeans of a vpivot bolt 15 passed through all of the slats. Filler slats 14 are also employed in the movable sections as shown. The inner ends of the slats 14 are fitted between the adjacent ends of the relatively short'slats 10 of the fixed sectionof each end wall, at which point the parts are pivotally connected by means of av pivot bolt 16 passed through all of the lapping slats, and through one limb of the angle plates 13.

Projecting inwardly from the lowermost slats constituting the side and end walls of I the crate arecleats 16" upon which a removable bottom panel 17 is adapted to rest when the parts are in set up position, while projecting inwardly from the uppermost slats and fillers. of the respective side and,

end walls are similar cleats 18 and 18 upon which the top or cover panel 19 of the crate is suitably fastened. As seen in Fig. 2, the end cleats 18. terminate at their outer extremities 18 short of the side walls A by sufiicient distance to permit the side cleats 18 to pass beyond such extremities and abut the inner faces of the slats in the long sections of the .endwalls as the crate is opened. At this time said extremities 18 strike the sides of the side cleats just when the extremities 18 of the side cleats strike the end walls B, and thereby the proper right angle of each corner is preserved Moreover the inner extremity 18 of each end cleat 18'. is spaced a considerable distance from the inner face of the other side cleat as indicated at 18 in Fig. 2. This permits the lower or bottom panel 17 to be turned oblique to the crate when opened out as seen in Fig. 2,

passed edgewisedownward with its ends in the spaces 18 existing in diagonally opposite corners of the upper cleats turned inside the body, and laid up on the lower cleats 16; after which of course the upper or top panel 19 may be laid upon the upper cleats in a manner well shown at the left of Fig. 2. Manifestly when the parts are in set up position a very strong and durable crateis provided, but when its use is not desired, the same can be easily and quickly collapsed to occupy a ininimiun amount of space whereby a large number of these crates can be transported at one time, and conveniently handled. By remowing-the topand bottom and laying the same against the inside of one of the side walls of the crate, t-hesaid side and end walls can be folded as shown in Fig. l, thereby providin substantially flat article. lWhen folded the cleats providea closure for the space between the re spective walls, and serve to retain the bottom and top. positionedbetween the walls.

In Figs. 6 to lOinclusive I have illus trated a modified form of the invention which is in the nature of a box, the distinction in this form of the invention from that hereinabovedescribed residing in closely associating the slats constitutingthe respec tive walls of the box, and joining the slats bymeans of a tongue and groove connection to add to the strength and rigidity of the box as a whole. In this instance the sides of the box, are indicatedgenerally at C while the end walls are indicatedgenerally at D, the latter including a fixed section and a movable section. Eachfixed section is made up of a plurality of long slats 20 and short fillers 21 respectively, which are alternately disposed and, closely associated asshown, While the movable section which is approximately twice the widthof the fined section is also made up of a plurality of relatively short fillers 22 andlong'slats 23 respectively, the long slats 20 and 5213 of the respectivesections of each end wall projecting beyond. the short filler slats 21 and 22 of the said sections, and arrangedin overlapped relation, being pivotally connected by means of a pivot bolt 22% which projects through, all of the overlapped terminals of the said long slats 20 and 23.. It willbe noted that the pivotal connection between the fixed and movable sections of the respective end walls is arranged adjacent two diagonally opposed cornersofthe box, the relatively long slats 23 of the movable section ofeach end wall being pivotally connected by means of a bolt 26 withthe adjacent ends of relatively long slats 27 constituting part of the side walls of the box, themovable sections of. the respective end wallsv being pivotally connected with thebox at the .two remain ing diagonally opposed corners thereof as shown. The side walls also include a pluare alternately disposed with respect to the long slats 2'7 and are closely associated. It might here be stated that the relatively long slats of both the side and end walls which provide the pivotal connection between the parts have their ends rounded to permit the walls to fold in superimposed relation. All of the slat-s of. both the side and end walls of the box are associated by a tongue and groove connection, which extends throughout the entire length of the filler slats of each wall, which construction and arrangement provides a very strong and durable box of the type disclosed, when the parts are in set up position for use.

Projecting inwardly from the lowermost slats of the respective side andend walls are cleats 30 upon which removable bottom 31 is adapted to rest when the parts are in a' position for use, while projecting inwardly from the uppermost slats in the respective walls are similar cleats 32 uponwhich a removable cover 33 is secured in any suitable manner. The box is folded identically in the same manner as the crate hereinabove described subsequent to the removal of the bottom and top and arranging these parts upon one of the side walls of the box. The side andend walls may then be folded in a flat. condition, while the cleats 30 and 32 serve to hold the top and bottom respectively positioned between the walls with the parts folded. It is manifest that I have devised a. crate or box of the class in question which can not only be folded to provide a comparatively small article in short order when its use is not desired, but one which is cheap to ,manufacture, yet one very strong and durable when set up inposition for use.

What is claimed is 1. A knockdown crate comprising end walls each made up of long andshort sections pivotally connected, side walls each socured at one end at rightangles to the short section of one end wall and pivoted at its other end to the long section of the other end wall, cleats secured inside both side walls and adapted to abut at their ends against said long sections when the crate is opened, other cleats secured inside said long sections and adapted to abut at their ends against the sides of the first named cleats when the crate is opened, and a horizontal panel removably supported upon the cleats.

2. A knockdown crate comprising end walls each made up of long and short sections pivotally connected, side walls each secured at one end at right angles to the short section of one, end wall and pivoted at its other end to the long section ofthe other end wall, cleats secured inside both side walls at the upper and lower edgesthereof and adapted to abut at their ends against said long sections when the crate is opened, othercleatssecured lllSlClQ'SttlCl long sections at their upper and lower edges and opposite the first named cleats and adapted to abut at their ends against the sides of said cleats when the crate is opened, the inner ends of the end cleats stopping short of the pivots between the long and shortfsections to leave spaces at diagonally opposite corners of the crate when opened, a bottom panel adapted to be passed downward through the upper cleats and turned and laid on the lower, and a top panel adapted to be laid on the upper cleats, both panels being of a width to be housed within the crate betweenits upper and lower cleats when such crate is collapsed.

3. The herein described knockdown crate comprising two side walls, two end walls each made up of a long and a short section Copies of this patent may be obtained for hinged together, rigid right-angular connections between each short section and one end of a side wall, hinge connections between the outer end of each long section and one side wall, each wall and each section being composed of spaced slats lapping at their ends with the next adjacent element and one filler slat shorter than and secured to one of said spaced slats, angle-plates at two diagonally opposite corners of the crate and each having one limb secured to a slat and the other limb secured to a filler, and top and bottom panels.

In testimony whereof I atfix my signature. CASIhflR MARCINKIEWICZ.

Witnesses:

ADAM MARGINKIEWIGZ,

ARNOLD WASZYEA.

five cents each, 'by addressing the Commissioner 0! Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

